2025 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippine Cup race weekend 2 wows over 12,000 fans

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) brought the heat to Villar City from May 23 to 25 as over 12,000 fans flocked to experience the second leg of the 2025 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup. From roaring engines to high-stakes races and epic concerts, the weekend was packed with excitement, adrenaline, and surprises.

Racers from four categories — Novice, Sporting, Super Sporting, and Legacy — tore through a challenging 2.4-kilometer street circuit designed with 14 turns, two hairpins, and six chicanes. The urban layout delivered edge-of-your-seat action as drivers pushed their limits across three sprint races.

One of the weekend’s most talked-about moments came from TMP President Masando Hashimoto, who competed in the Novice Class. During the final laps of a race, he lost control and flipped his Vios OMR race car after hitting the barriers. Fortunately, Hashimoto walked away unscathed, thanks to the car’s robust safety features.

“I lost my beloved Vios #4, but it saved my life,” Hashimoto said. “Toyota cars are built tough and designed to protect. Crashes are part of racing, but this proved to me just how safe these cars really are.”

Built for safety, on and off the track
The Vios One-Make-Race (OMR) car has been the trusted ride of racers in the TGR Philippine Cup for 11 years. Each car is track-ready with safety upgrades like a roll cage, five-point seat belts, racing seats, and protective gear including fireproof suits and HANS devices.

Toyota applies the same level of care and technology in its consumer vehicles through Toyota Safety Sense, airbags, and advanced control systems.

Pushing the limits for better
Under the mantra of “driving, breaking, and fixing,” Toyota continues to innovate by testing cars under real race conditions. These insights help engineers build even safer and more capable vehicles for everyday use.

All races are supervised by the Automobile Association Philippines to ensure safety compliance.

Debut of the Tamaraw racing concept
The event also featured the first public appearance of the Tamaraw Racing Concept — a modified Tamaraw Dropside truck — during a drag race exhibition.

It’s a bold statement of Toyota’s goal to bring excitement to utility vehicles through motorsports engineering.

Rock and racing: An unforgettable weekend
Aside from the racing thrills, fans were treated to live performances from OPM legends including Rico Blanco, Parokya ni Edgar, Ely Buendia, and Bamboo — turning Race Weekend 2 into a full-on festival.

Race results: Who took the checkered flag?

Here are the top finishers from each class over the three sprint races:

🏁 Race 1 – Sprint Race 3

Novice Class

1. Pablo Salapantan – TGR Philippines Novice Team
2. Ian Magbanua – TGR Philippines Novice Team
3. John Rey San Diego – TGR Philippines Novice Team

Sporting Class

1. Russel Reyes – TGR Philippines
2. Jesse Garcia – Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak
3. Bernardus Corpino – Jordan Racing

Super Sporting Class

1. Joaquin Garrido – Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak
2. Russel Cabrera – Toyota Team Cebu
3. Red Diwa – Toyota Isabela

Legacy Class

1. Oliver Aquino – Oyi Racing: A Tech 7 Project
2. Paolo Ang – Madkart – R Racing
3. Julian Colvin – TGR Philippines

🏁 Race 2 – Sprint Race 4

Novice Class

1. Reph Bangsil – TGR Philippines Novice Team
2. Luis Moreno – TGR Philippines Novice Team
3. Masando Hashimoto – TGR Philippines Novice Team

Sporting Class

1. Raymond Cudala – R Racing Team
2. Bernardus Corpino – Jordan Racing
3. Mike Santos – R Racing Team

Super Sporting Class

1. Jarond Mesina – Dash Racing x Era Autosport
2. Alain Gabriel Alzona – Toyota General Santos – Smart Communications Racing
3. Michael Brayan Co – R Garage/Toyota Dagupan Group

Legacy Class

1. Luigi Agustin Co – Gel Napat Racing – R Racing
2. JV Ejercito – Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak
3. Andre Rodrigues – Oyi Racing

🏁 Race 3 – Sprint Race 5

Novice Class

1. Pablo Salapantan – TGR Philippines Novice Team
2. Ian Magbanua – TGR Philippines Novice Team
3. Masando Hashimoto – TGR Philippines Novice Team

Sporting Class

1. Jesse Garcia – Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak
2. Bernardus Corpino – Jordan Racing
3. Miguel Hernandez Abano – DrQ.Motorsports/Era Autosport

Super Sporting Class

1. Russel Cabrera – Toyota Team Cebu
2. Joaquin Garrido – Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak
3. Michael Brayan Co – R Garage/Toyota Dagupan Group

Legacy Class

1. Oliver Aquino – Oyi Racing: A Tech 7 Project
2. Julian Colvin – TGR Philippines
3. Paolo Ang – Madkart – R Racing

Attendees also got to check out the Toyota Drive Fest, featuring test drives, displays of GR and GR-S models, Hybrid Electric Vehicles, the all-new Tamaraw, and Lexus F SPORT models. Exclusive promos and discounts were up for grabs, while Toyota’s T-SURE program offered certified pre-owned vehicles on-site.

What’s next?
Gear up for the final round! Race Weekend 3 is set to happen this August at Clark International Speedway. Follow TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok for the latest news and live event coverage.

The 2025 TGR Philippine Cup is proudly supported by:

• Petron (Official Fuel & Lubricants Partner)
• GT Radial (Official Tire Partner)
• Villar City and Brittany (Official Venue Partners)
• Plus support from Seiko, Toyota Financial Services, Tuason Racing, 3M, Denso, ROTA, PIAA, AVT, OMP, Autoplus, Bebang Halo-Halo, AutoQuix, and Kinto One.

👉 For full event details and race updates, visit: toyota.com.ph/tgrphilippines